Johnson Comes Around

Ukraine Aid, Jury Doody

"I could make a selfish decision. ... But I'm doing here what I believe to be the right thing. I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important ... I'm willing to take personal risk for that because we have to do the right thing and history will judge us." In normal times, the notion of placing the defense of an ally and democracy writ large above one's own job security would hardly qualify as heroic. But these are the times we're in and if Mike Johnson is serious about finally funding the direly needed aid to Ukraine, then I salute him. It would be a—in a word that perhaps reaches out to his side of the politico-cultural spectrum—miracle.

+ One word: Hurry. "For a war of such era-defining importance, the scale of Western leaders’ actions to help Kyiv repel Russia’s invaders has fallen far short of their soaring rhetoric. That disappointment has left Ukrainians of all ranks — from the soldiers digging trenches to ministers running the country — weary and irritable." Ukraine is heading for defeat. "The West's failure to send weapons to Kyiv is helping Putin win his war."

+ AP: What’s inside the $95 billion House package focused on aiding Ukraine and Israel.

+ "While many members of Congress voted in favor of aid that is going to their districts, many whose congressional districts have been prime beneficiaries have been vocal opponents of Ukraine aid. Here is a regional breakdown of where Ukraine aid is going, along with the members who represent those districts." WaPo (Gift Article): Here are the U.S. congressional districts benefiting from Ukraine aid. (Yes, the military aid package will benefit Ukraine, democracy, the free world, and their own districts, but some House members are still raging against it. You gotta wonder why.)

+ We'll see how this plays out. House GOP erupts into name-calling and fresh threats to Johnson over effort to pass aid.

2

Llama Llama Melodrama

"Meta’s AI assistant is being put everywhere across Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. Meanwhile, the company’s next major AI model, Llama 3, has arrived." Meta is making its big push into competition with ChatGPT and Gemini (and a host of other AI programs). Maybe I'm too old for this stuff. I visit the sites and then I can't think of anything to ask about other that Dave Pell and NextDraft. Actually, that's all I ever really asked search engines about, too. Meta’s battle with ChatGPT begins now.

3

Jury Doody

"Do you have any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about former President Donald Trump, or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?" Is there anyone in the world (or at least NYC) that is still impartial toward Donald Trump? Slate: What Jury Selection Has Been Like Behind the Scenes.

+ In short, it's been difficult. In fact, the total number of jurors went from 7 to 5 on Thursday morning. Here's the latest.

+ One big jury-related problem is that the defendant, already facing a contempt hearing, decided the post some jury intimidation onto social media. Another problem has been the blanket coverage of every potential juror by the 24-hour media. They're actually interviewing people who didn't get assigned jury duty.

4

Get a Piece of the Rock

"With the loss of revenues from record sales and paltry streaming royalties, an increasing number of rockers are turning to careers in real estate as a way to make ends meet. And this trend only increased when the pandemic shuttered the live performance game." Rolling Stone (Gift Article): The Bass Player in Vixen Wants to Sell You Your Next House.

5

Extra, Extra

Calculated Risk: "We are in a situation where basically everybody can claim victory ... Iran can say that it took revenge, Israel can say it defeated the Iranian attack and the United States can say it successfully deterred Iran and defended Israel ... [but] if we get into another round of tit for tat, it can easily spiral out of control, not just for Iran and Israel, but for the rest of the region and the entire world." Reminder that the biggest geopolitical challenge for Biden (and other leaders) is to keep this thing from spreading out of control. NYT (Gift Article): Miscalculation Led to Escalation as Israel and Iran Clash.

+ Slap on the Wrist: "The sanctions target executives of an engine manufacturer that supplies Iran’s Shahad-131 drones, which were used in the onslaught, as well as companies that service the engines and individuals associated with providing the drones to Iranian proxy forces throughout the Middle East." (Wait, there were no sanctions against this drone program before?) US slaps new sanctions on Iran’s drone program. (More like a tap than a slap.)

+ Cutting Your Teeth in a War Zone: "The dentistry program at Al-Azhar University was very selective, and very demanding, and they had big plan ... But instead of starting new jobs, they found themselves plunged into endless days of burying the dead and fearing for the living." NYT (Gift Article): They Graduated Into Gaza’s War. What Happened to Them?

+ You Need More Fiber: "Workers installing a light pole in Missouri cut into a fiber line, knocking out 911 service for emergency agencies in Nebraska, Nevada and South Dakota, an official with the company that operates the fiber line said Thursday." At the risk of sounding redundant, don't these systems need a little redundancy?

+ Recruitistan: "“We need to understand — who is recruiting young Tajiks, why do they want to highlight us as a nation of terrorists?” said the mother, Muyassar Zargarova. Many governments and terrorism experts are asking the same question." NYT: An ISIS Terror Group Draws Half Its Recruits From Tiny Tajikistan. Three root causes: Poverty, hopelessness, brutal authoritarianism.

+ Squeezing Out the Sanity: "Gallagher announced in February he would not seek re-election after he was just one of a small handful of House Republicans to oppose the impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas." Rep. Mike Gallagher hints death threats may be behind his early resignation.

+ 1864ever: " For the second time in two weeks, Arizona House Republicans rejected an attempt to repeal a near-total ban on abortion from 1864 that was upheld by the battleground state’s Supreme Court." (Take the hint: They want this law.)

+ Ken Burns: "President Joe Biden scooped up endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr." Kennedy family makes ‘crystal clear’ its Biden endorsement in attempt to deflate RFK Jr.’s candidacy. (There’s no way to Immunize yourself from this kind of humiliation.)

6

Bottom of the News

"It’s all a little peculiar, at least in the sense that words are supposed to mean something. Imagine ordering a 'hamburger' that contained a bun and some lettuce, with chicken, marinara sauce, and basil Mad-Libbed between." Something Weird Is Happening With Caesar Salads.

+ "A woman brought a man in a wheelchair into a South American bank and attempted to take out a loan in his name – but the man had been dead for hours." (The loan scam didn't work, but they were able to sell him some shares of DJT.)

+ Ever heard of the The Mariko Aoki Phenomenon? It's when you walk into a bookstore or cafe and immediately have to go to the bathroom. (I get this sensation every time I leave my house...)